Cigar-case.



0. L'EN'PANT.

CIGAR CASE.

APPLIOATION FILED APB.6, 1910. mmnwnn mm. 19, 1910.

Patented Aug. 8, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA PLANOOIAPH GO, WASHINOTONI D- C.

G. LENFANT.

CIGAR CASE.

APPLICATION FILED 11133.6, 1910. RENEWED DBO. 19, 1910.

Patented Aug. 8, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. 1-? .-10. 6

COLUMIIA PLANOGWN 60,, WMHINBI'ON. D- C. v

UNTTFQD STATFfi PATENT FTQE.

CHARLES LENFANT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CIGAR- CASE.

incense.

Application filed April 6, 1910, Serial No. 553,802.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHAnLEs LENFANT, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in New York, in the borough of Manhattan, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cigar-Cases, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved case for cigars and cigarettes of that class known as the flexible, coverless type, in which a slide-piece and devices for lifting the cigars or cigarettes partly out of the case are employed.

Practical tests with the cigar and cigarette case for which an application for Let ters Patent of the United States was made by me on June 29, 1909, Serial No. 504,986, and allowed November 18, 1909, have shown that the transverse slide-piece guided on a transverse partition of the case in connection with a lift-ing device for moving the cigars or cigarettes partly out of the case when it is desired to take out one or more of them for use, was objectionable for the reason that the transverse slide-piece gradually assumed a flattened shape and interferred with the convenient lifting of the cigars and also caused injury to the buttends of the cigars or cigarettes adjacent thereto when trying to take hold of the lifting slide-piece.

The object of this invention is to over come these objections by arranging the slidepiece for lifting the cigars or cigarettes, instead of transversely to the side-walls of the case, alongside of the sidewalls and parallel thereto, while still retaining the transverse partition in the case, so that the lifting of the cigars or cigarettes partly out of the case can be accomplished with greater facility, while the appearance of the case, especially at the upper end, is greatly improved; and for this purpose the invention consists of a cigar or cigarette case having an interior vertical partition for separating the cigars or cigarettes into groups, and a slide-piece extending along one or both side-walls of the case to the upper edge of the same, both slide-pieces being con nected at their lower ends near the bottom of the case with means for lifting the cigars or cigarettes partly out of the case. The lifting device is provided with lateral eX- tension-strips, which are attached to the lower ends of the slide-pieces and which Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, rear. Renewed December 19, 1910. Serial No. 598,163.

serve for stiffening the bottom of the case when the lifting device is in its lowermost position.

The invention consistsfurther of certain.

details of construction which will be fully described hereinafter and finally pointed out in the claims. W

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of my improved c gar and cigarette case showing the slidep 1ece and lifting device for the cigars or cigarettes in their lower normal position, Flg. 2 15 also a perspective view of the case, showing the slide-piece and interior lifting device raised so as to move the cigars or c garettes partly out of the case for permitting the taking out of the same, Figs. 3 and 4c are respectively vertical transverse sections on lines 3, 3,, Fig. 1, and 4, 4, Fig. 2, drawn on a larger scale, Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on line 5, 5, Fig. 1, Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modified construction of the case, shown closed at the upper end or mouth, Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse section on line 7, 7, Fig. 6, Figs. 8 and 9 are respectively a perspective View and a vertical transverse section of another modified construction of the slide-piece for closing the case at the upper end, Fig. 10 is a side-view of the blank for the lining provided with the necessary slits and recesses, Fig. 11 is a side-elevation of a partly finished case, and Figs. 12 and 13 are details of the upper ends of the slide-piece, showing the means for closing the upper end of the case.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, a is a cigar or cigarettecase of the so-called flexible, coverless type. The case a is made open at the top and closed at the bottom, and provided with inwardly-springing collapsible sidegussets g. The case is preferably made curved at the lower corners so as to correspond with the shape of the cigars placed in the same. When used for cigarettes, the lower part is not made tapering, but square and provided with slightly rounded-off corners. The case a is made of an interior lining 6 of split calfs leather, muslin or other suitable material, and of an outer layer or covering 6 of stout yet flexible leather or other suitable material. The size of the case corresponds with the size of the cigars or cigarettes which are to be carried in the same, but itmay be made in any desired size and shape. The lower end of the case is also rounded off transversely for facilitating, in connection with the tapering corners, the convenient insertion of the case into the vest or coat-pocket.

The case is provided at the center or sidewise of the center with a vertical partition (Z, according an even or uneven number of cigars or cigarettes is to be carried in the case. The partition (Z is made of two layers which are provided at their upper ends with lateral flaps (Z that are passed through longitudinal slits d in the side-walls of the lining and the reinforcing papenlayers (Z of the same. The flaps (Z are pasted to the reinforcing layers of the lining b after being passed through the slits and folded in oppo site direction, as shown in Fig. 5. Transverse slits c in the side-walls of the lining b and its reinforcing layer serve for guiding a longitudinal slide-piece which is made of two strips 6, 0 which are made of thin steel, alun'iinam, hard rubber, japanned or plated sheet-metal and covered with muslin so as to prevent corrosion or deterioration. One of the slide-strips e 6 is extended to the upper edge of the case alongside of and parallel with the sideall of the same and bent preferably over the outside of the case, as shown at 0*, Figs. 9 and 13, while the other lifting strip is located at the other side of the case and is made shorter, and serves for the purpose of equalizing the pulling strain on the lifting bottom-portion of the lining. The slide-strips 6 e are connected at their lower ends with an interior lifting device at the bottom of the lining so as to pull up both sides of the lifting device into bights or folds when taking hold of the longer slide-strip cand pulling it in up- 'ard direction, as shown in Fig. 4'. The shorter slide-strip 6 follows the motion of the longer slide-strip c and folds up thereby its side of the lifting device. The lower ends of the slide-strips c 6 are connected with transverse strips 6 which are preferably riveted to the lower ends of the strips or otherwise attached thereto by muslinstrips pasted over the same. The transverse strips 0 form with the slide-strips 6 6 strips of inverted T-shape, the strips 6 corresponding in width with the bottom of the case, a small case requiring shorter and larger cases longer bottom-strips. The transverse ljiottom-strips serve for stiffening the lower part of the case and preventing the bending and breaking of. the same at the bottom. which especially in larger cases is of considerable importance, as thereby a re inforce is given to the lower or bottom-part of the case by which it retains its shape and good appearance for a much greater length of time than when no such reinforcing strips are provided. The double partition (Z is extended through a slit 0 at the center of the lifting device f and twisted at its lower end and attached by its bent-up ends (1* to the interior of the covering layer so as to be held in position in the case at its upper and lower ends. The longer slide-strip e is turned over at its upper end so as to be conveniently taken hold of for lifting the flexible bottom and sides of the lifting device f and place them in proper folds, the stiff bottom being moved over the lower end of the twisted partition (Z, as shown in Fig. 4-. The lining is closed at the sides by folding side-gussets which are provided at their lower ends with tongues that are pasted over the reinforcing layer (Z of the cover, which layer (Z is preferably made of paper or other soft material. Over the reinforcing layer (Z and the gussets is applied the outer covering layer 6 of the case, which is finished with skived overlapping edges so as to present the appearance of a seamless case. lVhen the slide-strip c taken hold of at the upper end and pulled in upward direction, the loose flexible portion of the lifting device f is moved away from the stiff trough-shaped bottom-portion of the case and formed into folds or bights, as shown in Fig. 4, and lifts thereby the cigars or cigarettes in the case to a certain distance out of the case, so that their butt-ends extend beyond the case and can be readily taken hold of and removed or offered to others for removal.

After one or more cigars are removed, the slide-piece is pushed down again, so that the slide-strips and the trough-shaped bottom-portion of the lifting device are returned to their lowermost position, as shown in Fig. This downward motion of the bottom of the lifting device returns the lower end of the partition cZ into its former straight position, leaving only its lowermost end twisted. as shown in Fig. 3.

As the slide-strips are arranged alongside of and parallel with the side-walls of the case and guided together on the opposite sides of the lining of the side-walls, they are independent of the vertical partition d, which for some purposes, as in card-cases and the like, may be entirely dispensed with, also in medicine-cases for physicians and other similar purposes. The upper ends of both sliclestrips may be curved and connected so as to form a kind of yoke-shaped handle 72., as shown in Figs. 1 to 4. By bending the slide-strips inwardly at the up per ends and forming them into a loopshaped handle 72, as shown in Figs. 6, 8 and 12, the upper ends of the side-walls of the case are drawn together so as to close over the butt-ends of the cigars and cigarettes and form a protection for the same. This is assisted by inserting transverse strips (2 at the upper ends of the side-walls of the case which pass loosely under the slide-strips and which cause the converging of the upper ends of the side-walls, as shown in Figs. 7 and 9. The longer slide-piece 6 shown in Fig. 9, serves by its bent-over upper end for engaging the opposite side-wall of the case and holding the mouth of the same closed, as in Fig. 7. By the closing means at the upper ends of the slide-pieces and the arrangement of the transverse partition, the cigars and cigarettes are protected and prevented from shifting into .a diagonal posi tion and dropping out of the case, while by the slide-pieces and lifting device the cigars or cigarettes can be readily lifted partly out of the case for convenient removal, the objections heretofore experienced being dis-' pensed with and a bet er-working and more attractive case obtained.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A collapsible cigar or cigarette case provided with a flexible foldable interior lifting device and slidestrips connected with the same and guided alongside of and parallel with the side-walls of the case.

2. A collapsible cigar or cigarette case provided with a foldable vertical partition ex tending; across the same, a flexible lifting device at the bottom of the same, and slidestrips guided alongside of and parallel with the side-walls of the case independently of the transverse partition.

A cigar or cigarette case having a flexible lining and provided with an interior lift ing device secured to the bottom of the lining, slide-strips guided alongside of and parallel with the side-walls, and transverse stifiening strips at the lower ends of the slide-strips applied to said lifting device.

i. A cigar or cigarette case provided with an interior lifting device, a slide-strip connected with the lifting device at its lower end and guided in a substantially straight line alongside of and parallel with one of the side-walls, and a slide-strip also connected with said device and guided in the opposite side-wall of the case.

5. A cigar or cigarette case provided with an interior lifting device at the bottom of the lining, a slide-strip connected with the lifting device at its lower end and guided in a substantially straight line along and parallel with one of the side-walls, said lifting device being provided with transverse stiffening strips, and an additional slidestrip also connected with the lifting device and guided in the opposite side-wall of the case parallel with the same.

(YA cigar or cigarette case provided with an interior lifting device, slide-strips guided alongside of and parallel with the sidewalls, the lower ends of the slide-strips being connected with the sides of the lifting device,

and connected with each other at the upper ends to form a handle, said side walls and said side strips being adapted to fold substantially against each other.

7. The combination, with a cigarcase closed at the bottom and open at the top, of an interior lifting device located in the closed end of the same, and a vertical partition attached to the side-walls and bottom of the case and passing through a slit in the bottom of the interior lifting device.

8. The combination, with a cigar-case closed at the bottom and open at the top, of a lifting device located at the interior of the case and formed of a trough-shaped portion and folding sides, and slide-strips guided along the side-walls of the case and connected with the trough-shaped bottom of the lifting device for raising the troughshaped bottom and folding the side-strips into even folds or bights.

9. The combination, with a cigar-case closed at the bottom and open at the top, of a lifting device located at the interior of the case and formed of a trough-shaped portion at the interior of the case and folding flexible side-walls, slide-strips guided along the side-walls of the case and connected with the trough-shaped bottom for raising said bottom and folding the side-strips into even folds, and a vertical partition between the side-walls of the case and twisted at its lower end into a position parallel therewith, said partition passing through a slit in the bottom of the lifting device and being attached to the bottom of the case.

10. The combination, with a cigar-case closed at the bottom and open at the top, of a flexible, foldable lifting device at the interior of the case, slide-strips guided along the side-walls of the case and connected with the bottom of the lifting device, trans verse reinforcing strips at the bottom of the lifting device connected with the lower ends of the slide-strips, and a handle formed at the upper ends of the slidestrips.

11. The combination, with a cigar-case closed at the bottom and open at the top, of a lifting device at the interior of the case, slide-strips guided along the side-walls of the case parallel therewith, said slide-strips being connected at the lower ends with the bottom of the lifting device and at the upper ends with each other and forming a handle for raising or lowering the slidestrips and lifting device and opening and closing the case, said side walls and slide strips being adapted to fold substantially against each other.

12. The combination, with a cigar-case closed at the bottom and open at the top, of a lifting device at the interior of the case, slide-strips guided on and parallel with the side-walls of the case, transverse reinforcing strips at the bottom of the lifting de vice, tmnsverse reinforcing strips at the In testimony, that I claim the foregoing upper edges of the case stud slide-strips beas my invention, I have signed by name 111 mg attached at their lower ends to the lower presence of two subserihlng Witnesses.

transverse strips and guided Over the upper CHARLES LENFANT. strips and provided With converging upper Witnesses:

ends forming a handle for opening and PAUL GOEPEL,

closing the mouth of the ease. FANNIE FISK.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

